Electric iron



J. K. MOYR ELECTRIC IRON `May 22, 1951 2 sheetsl-Sheet l Filed May 8, 1947 May 22, 1951 J. K. MoYER; 2,554,341

' ELECTRIC IRQN Filed May 8, 1947 2 SheetSe-Sheet 2 INI/NTOR. @5e/0h jf M0 ew i-atented May 22, '1.951'

ELECTRIC IRON Joseph K. Moyer, NorthCanton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 8, 1947, Serial No. 746,815v

The present invention relates in general to electric irons and more particularly to a terminal connection for conducting electricity to the working parts of the iron.

Another object is to provide a novel terminal block for connecting the cord to the terminals oi the heating element and to the thermostatic control.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a combination terminal block mounting and supportfor supporting a cover shell in spaced relationship to the sole plate of the iron.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accom" panying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an iron, partly in section, with this invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a rear elevational View through the rear part of the handle illustrating the chamber for mounting the conductor cord to the terminal block of the iron of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a plan View of the details of the Wiring connections to the heating element and to the thermostatic control of the iron; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged isometric View of the terminal block insulation for the terminal connections of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings the invention is applied to an electric iron comprising generally a handle II, a sole plate I2, and a cover shell lll. The handle II is preferably 'made of a phenolic condensation product and includes a front leg 29 and a rear leg 2l secured to the cover shell 14 in any suitable manner. The cover sheljl I4 is secured to the sole plate I2 in such manner that its downwardly extending edge is spaced slightly above the peripheral edge of the sole plate I2. The shell I4 is extended rearwardly beyond the rear edge of the sole plate I2 to form a supporting edge 23 which cooperates with a rear projection 22 on the handle II to support the iron on its heel when not in use. The space to the rear of the sole plate I2 formed by the overhanging portion of the cover shell I4 is closed by a closure plate I5 secured to the shell and to the sole plate in any suitable manner.

A suitable heating element is preferably embedded in the sole plate I2. One terminal of the heating element is shown extending above the surface of the sole plate at l5 of Fig. l. thermostatic control I'I of any suitable character operates to switch the current to the heating element on and off to maintain the sole plate at the proper temperature. The temperature at 3 Claims. (Cl. 21S- 25) which the sole plate is maintained may be varied by control knob I8 suitably secured to the control shaft of the control Il and positioned above the cover shell I4 between the front and rear legs 2B and 2l of the handle II.

As shown in Figs. l and 2 the rear supporting post 2l of the handle II is hollow and the cover shell I4 has an opening l38 therein beneath the hollow space in the post ZI and leading to the space between the overhanging portion of the shell I4 and the closure plate I5.

One side wall of the post 2l is apertured at 2l (Fig. 2) to receive a conductor cord 25 and a cord protector 26 lwhich may be secured in the opening 21 in any suitable manner. The conductor wires 3l and 32 of the cord 25 extend downwardly through the opening 33 and are suitably attached to the extending lugs of terminal strips 33 and 34. As shown in Fig. 3 the strip 33 is connected at 'IS to one of the terminals I6 of the heating element and the strip 34 is connected to one of the terminals 32 of the control il. The other terminal 82 of the control is `connected to the other terminal I6 of the heating element by a conductor strip 80,

In order to anchor the strips 33 and 34 to the sole plate l2 and also to secure the rear end of the cover shell I4 thereto a bracket generally indicated by the reference numeral 6l is provided. The bracket 61 is T-shaped in plan view, the ends 68 of the cross of the T being secured to an upwardly extending `portion 69 on the rear of the sole plate -I2 by means of screws 'l0 While the tail of the T extends forwardly to form a support for the rear end of the shell I4 to which it is attached by means of the screw 64.

The tail of the bracket B1 is positioned on a plane above the ends 68 by vertically extending portions .connected by a horizontally extending portion 'i4 to form a downwardly opening recess for receiving superposed insulators 'I5 and 'I6 resiliently held together by a spring 'I8 positioned in the recess between the upper insulator 'I5 and the horizontally extending portion 74 of the bracket 61.

The lower insulator I6 has a pair of parallel slots I'I extending transversely thereof across its upper side. The central slot 'Il receives conductor strip 34 while the end slot 'I'I receives the conductor strip 33. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the horizontally extending portion of the bracket 6l is provided with a downwardly struck portion l2 and the vertically extending portions at each end thereof have inturned portions 13 to prevent the insulators from getting out of place.

From the foregoing it can be seen that this invention provides a combined means for rigidly securing the terminal lugs of an iron to the sole plate and for supporting the cover shell in spaced relationship to the sole plate in which the parts can be readily removed for replacement or repair.

While I have shown but a single embodiment of my invention it is to be understood that this embodiment is to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not wish to be limited to the speciic structure shown and described but to include all equivalent variations thereof except as limited by the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an electric iron, a sole plate, a cover shell secured to said sole plate, a rib extending upwardly from the heel of said sole plate, a heating element for applying heat to said sole plate, a control for controlling the energization of said heating element, terminal means for connecting a conductor cord to said control and to said heating element and a combined terminal anchor and cover shell support secured to said rib, said support including a portion spaced upwardly from said sole plate and forwardly from said rib to which said cover shell is secured and a laterally extending portion forming a downwardly facing pocket above said rib by which said terminal means is clamped against said rib.

2'. In an electric iron according to claim l in which said support is T-shaped in formation with the ends of the cross of the T being bent downwardly for attachment to said rib and to form said downwardly facing pocket for receiving said terminal means and the tail of the T eX- tends forwardly to form said support for said cover shell.

3. In an electric iron, a sole plate, an electric heater for said sole plate having terminals at the rear of said sole plate, a control for controlling the energization of said heater, terminal means for conducting electricity to said heater through said control and having a pair of terminal lugs extending rearwardly of said sole plate, a pair of superposed insulator plates resting on said sole plate and having recesses between them for receiving said terminal.` lugs, a clamping plate secured to the rear of said sole plate having a downwardly facing recess for receiving said insulator plates to clamp them against said sole plate and with an upwardly extending portion for supporting a cover shell above said sole plate and a spring in said downwardly facing recess above said insulator plates for holding them rigid with said sole plate.

JOSEPH K. MOYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,166,154 Rose Dec. 28, 1915 2,071,713 Terrill Feb. 23, 1937 2,325,377 Dickie July 27, 1943 2,357,905 Olving Sept. 12, 1944 2,403,115 Olving July 2, 1946 2,415,795 Kochi Feb. 11, 1947 2,436,042 Hansen Feb. 17, 1948 2,441,393 Buchanan May 11, 1948 

